By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
Today, November 21, our Church celebrates the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.
According to the Tradition of our Church, Saints Joachim and Anna, who were childless, vowed that if a child were born to them, they would consecrate her to God. When the Virgin Mary was born, her righteous parents hurried to fulfill their promise.
This event is considered as a prelude to God’s goodwill for the coming events: God would become human and save us, with our consent and cooperation.
The man who would cooperate is the Virgin Mary, the Most Holy Theotokos, who was consecrated to God at the age of three in order to prepare spiritually for this significant mission. The daughter of Joachim and Anna enters the sanctuary, which was forbidden even to the priests because this is the place where God will reside. Even the Angels were surprised, as one hymn of the day says, to see Mary enter in the Holy of Holies.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus
